A series of roadshows and voter education lectures on vote-counting machines (VCMs) will soon begin as the country prepares for the upcoming presidential election this May.
On Thursday, Feb.10, the Commission on Elections' Education and Information Department (COMELEC-EID) inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Rotary Club of Manila South (RCMS) for the conduct of voting machine education efforts.
"Itong MOA na ito ay isang paraan upang masiguro na ngayon pa lamang ay makilala na ng mga botante ang itsura ng makina, kung paano gamitin ang makina, at ano ang kanilang expect sa darating na halalan (The purpose of this MOA is to help voters get familiarized with the machine, the proper usage, and what to expect this election), " Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said.
According to them, the guiding principle of the agreement is reliability, credibility, and maximum security, not just of the VCM but the entire election system that the COMELEC and RCMS hope to engender to the voting public.
"Napakaganda ng partnership na ito dahil maraming naaabot na komunidad ang ating Rotary Clubs sa buong bansa. Halimbawa, sa District 3810 ay mayroon nang higit sa 100 na clubs na konektado sa mga barangay at marami pang komunidad (This is a good partnership as Rotary Clubs reach reach a lot of communities in the country. For instance, at District 3810, there's already more than 100 clubs connected to barangays and other communities)," Jimenez expressed.
Through this cooperative agreement, the poll body spokesperson noted, greater access is given to communities where Rotary Clubs are present who are interested in a VCM demo and voter education lecture.
The public may course their requests for a demo and lecture through RCMS.
"With this memorandum of agreement, essentially, the COMELEC and RCMS have agreed to collaborate and work together to achieve our common goals with respect to the upcoming elections, at no cost to the COMELEC," RCMS President Mario T. Dionisio Jr. stated.
Under the MOA, RCMS commits to organize and facilitate the staging of the VCM demo roadshows and lectures in cooperation with other Rotary Clubs.